Recently a friend of mine, while trudging through Mumbai traffic, remarked that the only way he can navigate through the city’s clogged arteries is to remind himself about the Buddhist story of the still mind.

“Tell me the story, so I can use it too.” I said and this is what he told me.

Buddha was travelling with a small entourage of disciples preaching the tenets of Buddhism. As they were passing by a small pond, Buddha looked at one of his followers and said, “Get me some water from the pond. I am thirsty”.

The disciple walked towards the pond, but as he was about to fill up the vessel, a bullock cart came through the pond. As a result the waters of the pond turned turbid. “How can I give this muddy water to my master”, thought the disciple. He came back and reported, “Master, the water is very muddy and not fit to drink.”